Milk Carton Party Bags

My mother used to use this pattern with the old fashioned loose tea cartons, but I find the milk cartons better as they are much stiffer and if the lollies are gooey or melt (such as chocolate buttons) then they don't melt out of the box. This is important in Australia when you have parties in the summer!

What you need

Instructions

Cut the top off leaving the base about 2 and a half to three inches high. Cut another strip about half an inch wide above this for the handle.

You don’t have to leave it in a circle, but cut it where the join is then, with crepe paper folded (It usually comes folded so just use it that way), cut out a strip about 3 and a half inches high.

Leaving the paper still folded, cut scallops along the top edge to make it into a petal shape, you can usually get about about two to three scallops per piece. Use the flower color for this piece. With green crepe paper, still folded, cut another smaller strip about 1 inch wide.

With the main color, unfold the strip and attach the paper to the carton with the straight side as the base and the petal side to the top. The petals will overlap the top of the carton box.

Wrap it around the carton about three to four times and attach it again (I use staples as glue is hard to attach to the wax covering of the carton. Now with the small strip of green crepe paper, wind it around the handle piece strip until it is all covered , then attach the covered handle to the carton inside the crepe paper already on it.

Take the “petal” scallops and gently stretch them in the middle of the petal to make a rose shaped petal. You can rub the top part on the palm of your hand to make the edge a roll and this looks good as well as giving the petal a bit more strength. Do this to each petal and as they overlap you will begin to see that it looks like a rose. Use pretty pinks, magenta, yellows, whites, what ever color scheme matches the party.

Then with the one inch strip of the green crepe paper, wrap it around the outside of the carton towards the bottom to act as the green of the calyx or stem, leaving enough to be able to tie a nice bow. As with the petals, stretch the bow loops to give it a ribbon look. I find that you don’t need to staple this on as the bow holds it tightly enough. If you want to, you can add a fairy doll (one of those tiny baby dolls with a skirt of tulle and sparkles on their chest for the top) and you will find the little girls just love them and keep their “treasures” in them after the lollies(sweets) have long gone!

For a boy’s party favor basket, you can do the same but delete the top with the petals, and decorate it as a wagon or a bucket with motifs for boys. Or if you are having a cowboy party, glue paddle pop stick around the outside to make miniature forts and attach a cowboy and Indian on either side of the handle.

Every kid loves these as they hold lots of goodies and they can take them home as a remembrance of the party!